NPI Blog

Plumbing Myths – Is There Any Truth in Them?

We have all heard the myths about how to improve your household plumbing, but are they true?

The saying, don’t believe everything you hear is something you should tread lightly on. Here are a few myths to avoid. Doing these can damage your pipes and system.

Lemons clean your garbage disposal:

Well it can make your drain smell better, but it won’t clean it. The way to clean your garbage disposal is to use mild soap and warm water. Disconnect the power source and then spray the cleaning solution into the disposal and scrub it with a brush.

Running the water down the disposal helps any waste that you put down it go down smoother:

Not exactly. Some foods are not meant to be disposed of in that manner and can damage your disposal. Foods like egg shells, peels, or thick foods. It doesn’t matter how much water you run.

Everything seems to be working fine, no matter what you are putting down the disposal:

So the drain isn’t getting clogged. It may seem like your disposal is working with no problem, but eventually it is going clog and cause issues. If you notice that the disposal is slow moving or waste remains on the discharge pipe, it is most likely getting clogged. You will need to remove the clog before using your disposal again.

You can clean your plumbing fixtures with any kind of cleaner:

This depends on the type of material the fixture is made of. Some pipes must be cleaned with specific cleaning solutions because they are sensitive to others, such as brass. Other fixtures need disinfectant to kill germs. Make sure you know what your fixtures are made of and what fixtures need a deeper cleaning.

Your fixtures don’t need attention:

Maintenance is definitely needed with your fixtures. They don’t maintain themselves. Without maintaining your pipes and fixtures, expensive repairs may be needed due to clogs or obstructions inside and outside the home.